Woven-wire bed-bottom



W. B`. NOY'ES. WoVEN WIRE BED BoTToMs.

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WOVEN-WIRE BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,730, dated November 24, 1891.

Application led January 26, 1891. Serial No. 379,022. (No model.)

To all wir/0717, t may concern:

Be it known that LWALTER BRYANT NoYEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in-Bed-Bottoms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more especially to bed-bottoms which consist of woven-Wire fabric, canvas, or other flexible material, and which are provided with means for applying a variable tension to the bottom in accordance with the weight to be supported by the same.

The object of my invention is to provide the bed-bottom with a device of simple construction for stretching the same, whereby its tension may be readily adjusted, and also to construct the stretching-rollers in such a manner that they serve to connect the side rails of the bed-bottom frame.

In the accompanyingr drawings, Figure l. is a longitudinal section of my improved bedbottom. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective vien7 of one of theadjustable handlevers, the actuating-arm secured to the stretching-roller, and the spring connecting said arm and lever.

Like letters of reference referto like parts in the several figures.

A represent-s the longitudinal rails or side pieces of the frame of the bed-bottom; and A are cross-bars connecting the central portions of the rails.

B B represent transverse.stretching-rollers arranged at opposite ends of the frame, and C the wire fabric secured at its ends to the stretching-rollers. The wire fabric C is preferably supported between the stretching-rollers by spiral springs D resting upon the crossbars A. The stretching-rollers are each provided at both ends with a hollow cylindrical pivot or journal h, which is formed on a cap b', secured to the end of the roller. This pivot or journal turns in a socket or bearing formed in the side rail, and is held therein by a screw d, passing through the rail and the central bore of the journal and entering the wooden roller, asrepresented in the sectional portion of Fig. 2'. The screws d, in opposite ends of each stretching-roller, hold the journals of nals to prevent binding of the ends of the rollers against the inner sides of the rails.

E represents actuating-arms formed on or secured to the caps b on the under side of the stretching-rollers, and F are adjustable handlevers pivoted to the inner sides of the rails and which are each connected with the adjacent actuating-arm by a spiral spring g. The spring g is, preferably, detachably connected to a hook f formed on the hand-lever above its pivot. Each hand-lever is provided on its inner side with a projecting stud or pivot 7i, which is removably seated in one of a series of openings or sockets. h formed in the inner side of the rails A at different distances from the stretching-rollers.

In stretching the fabric of the bed-bottom, the pivot of the hand-lever is' placed in one of the openings h', with the handle or long arm j" of the lever in an elevated position, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. l. Upon depressing the lever into the position represented by full lines in the drawings, the movement of the lever is transmitted to the actuating-arm through the connecting-spring c, thereby turning the stretching-roller in the proper direction to stretch the fabric. The handle of the lever is held in a depressed position by engaging ,it under a screw or projection t', secured to the inner side of the rail,

the pivot of the hand-lever being of sufficient length to permit the lever to be partly withdrawn from its socket to clear the projection. After the lever has passed the projection its pivot Ais again pushed wholly into its socket. The sockets of the pivot are preferably arranged obliquely or at a slight angle to the axis of the stretching-rollers, so as to render the pivot of the lever less liable to be With-' drawn from its socket.

The spring g forms an elastic connection which permits the stretching-roller to turn to a certain extent when the Wire fabric is depressed, while being sufficiently stiff to im- IOO part the movement of the hand-lever to the actuating-arm of the stretching-roller.

lVhen it is desired to increase the tension of the bed-bottom, the adjustable hand-lever is disconnected from the rail by withdrawing its pivot from the socket, and the pivot is placed in a socket farther removed from theV stretching-roller. The lever is then depressed and locked in position by engaging it under the projection, as above described. In this manner the tension of the body may be readily varied to comfortably support a heavy or a light person by simply shifting the adjustingarin on the frame toward and from the stretching-roller, and the slack of the bed-bottom may be conveniently taken up when necessary.

In the drawings two stretchingrollers are shown, each of which is provided at both ends with an actuating-arm, hand-lever, and connecting-spring; but it is obvious that but a single stretching-roller may be employed and one end of the fabric secured to a stationary cross-bar of -the frame.

j represents longitudinal supporting rods or wires which sustain the edges of the fabric between the stretching-rollers and prevent undue sagging thereof. These supporting-rods pass through the border of the fabric and are preferably secured at their ends to the end portions of the side rails A, on the upper sides thereof, as represented in Fig. 2, but, if desired, they may be secured to the stretching-rollers. Each supporting-wire is provided at or near one end with a spiral springy", which causes the rod to contract and yield lengthwise in accordance with the corresponding movements of the flexible bed-bottom.

The spiral spring j is preferably formed in one piece with the supporting-rod, as shown. This construction reduces the cost of producing the rod and spring and avoids the formation of hooks or joints which are liable to catch in the bedding and tear the same.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with the frame of th bed-bottom and a stretching-roller provided with an actuating-arm, of a hand-lever made adjustable on the frame toward and from the stretching-roller, a :flexible connection uniting the hand-lever with the actuating-arm of the stretching-roller, and a wire fabric or other flexible support attached at one end to said stretching-roller, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with astretching-roller provided with an actuatingarm, and the frame of the bed-bottom provided with a series of sockets or openings arranged at difterent distances from the stretching-roller, of an adjustable handlever"`having a pivot seated in one of said sockets, aspring connecting the hand-lever with the actuating-arm of the stretching-roller, and a wire fabric or other liexible support attached at one end to said stretching-roller, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 31st day of December, i890.

VWALTER BRYANT NOYES.

Iitnessesz L. J. R. HUBERT, C. ST. JEAN. 

